


A New Beginning

by CenturiesofCosmicLove



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Destruction Ending, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-04-13
Packaged: 2018-03-13 22:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3398048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CenturiesofCosmicLove/pseuds/CenturiesofCosmicLove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Electra Shepard has almost completed her mission; Destroying the Reapers. After given three choices, she has to make her decision and live - or die - with the consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Destroy The Reapers

The air burned through her lungs.

Shepard gasped and stumbled down the catwalk. She could feel her blood trickling down her skin, chilling her face, arms, stomach, everywhere. Her ragged breaths echoed through the room as she worked her way to the pulsing red core. 

The child - no, the Catalyst - first gave her two choices: Control or Destroy the Reapers. Given these options, Destruction was the obvious choice. Controlling the Reapers wouldn't help anyone. They would always be at least a little afraid of them. But there there was a third option: Synthesis. She hesitated.

Synthesis sounded like the best choice. The Reapers would leave, organics would be part synthetic and synthetics would understand emotion. The strengths of both, weaknesses of neither. She could save the galaxy - forever. There would never be conflict again - not an intergalactic one, anyway - everyone would understand each other. Everyone would be... The same. No more conflict, no more struggle - but no more growth, no more change. She couldn't force a decision that large on the galaxy, not on her own.

But what would her choice matter, anyway? She was probably going to die either way, but this way she'd die a hero -

But Hackett told her he didn't need a hero. Anderson had said people lose sleep over whether or not she would make it home - something that never even crossed her mind until she heard him from him. Garrus, he - he gave her orders. _"Come back alive,"_ he'd requested. She's thought she'd heard some pleading in his dual-tone voice. _"It'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you."_ Could she be that selfish? Synthesis would definitely kill her, even if it was the best choice for the galaxy, but with Destruction, she could hope there'd be even a slight chance of her survival. And survival with the diversity and adaptability that helped win this war. The galaxy could - would have to - rebuild.

 _Finish the mission, Electra. Destroy the Reapers._  

She lifted her pistol - she was astonished there was still ammo - and fired. _Anderson's smile appeared in her head, full of pride and gratitude._ She fired again. _Legion turned to her, its light shining brightly._ She fired one last time. _Garrus looked at her, eyes full of love, and touched his forehead to hers. "I love you, too._ " If she really tried, she could pretend he really was right in front of her.

The red core exploded, and she lost consciousness.

*~*~

When Shepard opened her eyes, she was in what seemed like a never-ending black room. There was no light at all; she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. Despite not knowing where she was or what she was doing here, she didn't feel the slightest bit of fear. The darkness, the ambiguity, it was... comforting. She closed her eyes. The dark and the silence gave her a sense of peace, as if for once, she wasn't what held the galaxy together.

She could have fell asleep, right then and there even in her broken armor, if not for the sudden burst of heat and orange light appearing a few feet ahead of her. She opened her eyes and saw what looked like... a wooden bar? It was fully stocked, with space for a bartender that would likely never show up. There was just enough orange light to illuminate the bar and its accessories; five glasses with alternating blue, green, and purple liquid, and five bar stools to match.

Curiously, she walked towards it - but after one step, she was in front of the first bar stool, blue to match the blue of the drink. She sat in the stool and sniffed her drink. It smelled just like her favorite drink from Omega. She brought the glass to her lips -

"...Commander."

She froze. That deep voice was so familiar. She hadn't heard it in more than three years, but there's no way she'd forget it. Not after the constant nightmares.  
  
She turned to the green stool next to her, and found Kaiden smiling softly while swishing his drink around.  
  
"Kaiden...?"

"It's nice to see you again, Commander," he began. "Although, I wish it were under better circumstances."

She stared at him, bewildered to say the least, as his sipped his green liquid. He looked as nonchalant as if he were back in the mess hall; he was even in his casual wear. How could this be? She had to leave him behind on Virmire - she'd never allow herself to forget it - and he can't be here now unless -

Oh. A pained smirk crossed her face. Maybe she should have chosen Synthesis after all.

"Kaiden... I can't - It's just, I never got -" Why couldn't she just spit it out?!

"Commander, I think I know what you want to say," Kaiden interrupted, placing his half finished drinking on the counter. "And I just want you to know, you don't need to finish. You got Ashley out on Virmire, and you stopped Saren, didn't you?" He didn't wait for her answer as he continued, as if he knew it already. "That's all I wanted. How are you and Liara getting along?"

She grimaced. She never imagined having to explain that she ended up with Garrus while Liara took down the Shadow Broker (granted, she did help), yet here she was. It was more awkward than she could have imagined - but it was a welcomed feeling. She'd never imagined she'd have the luxury of feeling awkward while discussing her romantic involvements, not during this war.

Telling Kaiden everything - about how she felt when she finally saw Garrus again, as she helped him get through losing his team, the times after missions she'd go to the main battery just to hear his voice, how often she'd bring him into battle, being a bit more reckless than normal because she knew he had her six, and how when she saw Liara again, there was something missing, how she struggled to come up with questions that weren't about the mission, how she avoided eye contact even before she realized her feelings for Garrus - somehow, her guilt over dating Garrus behind Liara's back seemed to... ease. Liara had long since forgiven her, and Garrus never judged her for it, but she still blamed herself. Now, though, she realized, the only way she would have gotten through working with Cerberus and fighting the Collectors was with Garrus, and there was no changing that now.

Kaiden looked amused and a little surprised as he continued drinking. "Garrus, huh? That's... surprising, but it seems like everything worked out. I'm happy for you, Commander. I was always a little fearful you would put the Normandy and the needs of the galaxy ahead of your own. You found someone who makes you happy. I'm sure that's all Liara wants as well."

She couldn't hold back her smile, and suddenly she was fighting back tears. She'd no idea how much she'd missed him - just sitting and talking. He was honest and supportive, just like before, and he didn't even blame her for her choices. Maybe it was time she did the same.

She picked up her glass.

"Shepard, maybe you should hold on to that for a second." She could practically hear the smile in his voice. She looked up at him.

"And why is that -"

"Shepard. You're here too, huh?"

Kaiden had disappeared, and in his place, on the purple stool with the purple drink in his hand, sat David Anderson.

She watched him slip away after killing the Illusive Man; he'd made her shoot him and she had to hold back the tears and anger she would have thrown at him. The Illusive Man charged, and she shot him. The dead thud of his body hitting the floor was more gratifying than she could have imagined after the hell he put her through with the Collectors and sending Kai Leng after her. But she couldn't save Anderson.

"You destroyed the Reapers, Shepard." His kind words pulled her out of her reverie. His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. "I'm proud of you."

"Anderson..." Is this what dying is like? Seeing everyone you were afraid you'd disappointed for the rest of eternity? She preferred the darkness, despite the welcoming pain of seeing her old comrades' faces one last time.

"It feels like an eternity since I was just able to have a drink with you," Anderson continued. "No worrying about Reapers, no Council... Just you, me, and a drink." He gulped down half his drink. "What do you say, Shepard?"

She stared at him, at a complete loss of words. What could she say to him, her captain, the one who gave her this chance as a Commander, the one who gave her her own ship, her own crew, everything she had now, the one who supported and believed in her no matter what he heard from anyone else - the one who was there for her when she needed her father.

"Anderson... I listened to your biography notes. All of them..."

She didn't know how to continue, but luckily he responded.

"Really now?" He seemed a little embarrassed, but he covered it by gruffly shrugging. "I didn't think anyone would care."

"I know. But..." If these were her last words to him, what would she want them to be? Not about his dad - that topic seemed like a field of land mines - not about war - it was just them, let's keep it that way - maybe the Normandy? No, although she appreciated that he remembered she was his XO and included that in the biography. Maybe gratitude would be best.

"Anderson... David. Thank you, so, so much. For everything. For being there when I needed someone to believe in me, for giving me this chance, for the Normandy. There's no way I could ever show you how much I appreciate everything you've ever done for me - "

"Well, there is something you could do," he interjected, a kind grin on his face. "Take care of my apartment for me."

She watched him, confused, as he finished his drink. Didn't he realize she was with him for a specific reason? She couldn't take care of his apartment from here.

She returned her attention to her drink.

"Anderson, I can't - "

"You look well, _siha_."

Her eyes widened as she turned to the now blue seat next to her. "Thane."

Thane too? What had she done to deserve this torture? What could she ever say to make anything better after what happened to him? She searched for something to say -

"You finished your fight with the Reapers, _siha_. What will you do next?"

"Thane - I killed him. I killed Kai Leng. That bastard thought he could get away with killing you - attacking us on Thessia - he tried to stab me when I wasn't looking but I was prepared - "

" _Siha_." She stopped and looked at him. "You've done enough. Even you could not prevent my eventual death."

This was all too much, suddenly. She couldn't piece together the words she'd wanted to say to him when he was dying, after she'd finally killed Kai Leng, during Thane's memorial. Everything seemed to be spilling out of her at once. But she wouldn't cry, not in front of Thane, who's already had so much taken from him. She needed to hold it together."Y-you never told me what that meant. What does _siha_ mean?"

He smiled. "One of the warrior-angels of the goddess Arashu. Fierce in wrath. A tenacious protector. You've done much to earn that name. Not only for me, but for every soul in the galaxy." 

 _He could still say that to her._ He could sit there, after getting murdered on her watch, and tell her she's done enough. She took a deep breath.

"What would you want to do right now, Thane?," she asked. "You've saved the galaxy for the 100th time, and you have the choice to go anywhere - see anything, anyone. What would you choose?"

"I would very much like to see a desert," he responded immediately. His tone was sad, mournful, and yet he managed a smile. "With my son, and my wife."

She could almost picture it: Thane in the desert with Kolyat and Irikah, laughing and simply enjoying their company. In her mind, he would begin to recover from Kepral's Syndrome after being in a climate that was suited for him. They would all walk together, talking about all the time that has passed since the last time they were all together, and plan their future together. Build a house somewhere in the desert, maybe adopt lost children, the _drala'fa_ , and give them a new path in their lives.

How she wished she could give that to him.

"Where would you go, _siha_?"

Images of a warm beach with white sand, palm trees, and a cool ocean breeze flowed into her mind. She closed her eyes to try to hold the image; she could almost feel the warm, grainy sand, the sun covering her in its warm light, and then, she saw a tall figure. It held her focus; the tall figure was somewhat hard to make out, but how could she forget the silhouette of the love of her life? He was holding the hand of something smaller, rounder, with stubby little legs -

 _I'm not supposed to be here._ The realization hit her like a krogan charging. There was still at least one person who still needed her on the other side. But how could she get to him?

She opened her eyes and Thane was gone. His blue stool and drink were also gone, though she hadn't seen him finish it. The only one that remained was a green stool and its matching drink.

Who would be her last blast from her past? Kaiden, Anderson, and Thane... Three people she couldn't save; three people whose deaths would always be seen as her fault in her eyes. But they had let it go; they never blamed her, not even once. Could she forgive herself? She may have kept the galaxy from falling apart before but she was still one woman. One human. She chuckled. Either way, she'd have plenty of time to think it over. She lifted her drink -

"Shepard."

Ah. The last one has appeared. She turned and saw Mordian Solus standing next to her, and smiled. The great scientist salarian. The genius Mordin Solus, whose ethically ambiguous work on the genophage kept him up at night; during the day, he spoke of his work as the right thing to do, pretending he wasn't the one who needed convincing.

She remembered watching his reaction when he saw that krogan female, dead on the table, realized that the experiments to cure the genophage caused this, and seeing that he never thought of this. He never planned for the genophage to cause this much strife and grief. And he was remorseful. He regretted it. Deep down, he probably blamed himself for it getting this far. How her heart bled for him at that moment.

"Mordin... How are you doing? Have you come to tell me the genophage wasn't my fault? Because I think that's one of the few things in the galaxy I can't blame myself for."

Although, if she had found Mordin earlier, maybe he could have made the cure sooner, before the Reapers came, and he could see at least one of the krogan babies he gave a second chance to -

"Time's up."

She looked at him oddly. "What do you mean?"

"Thought it would be good for you to get closure. Humans seem to carry more emotional baggage than salarians. Gave you some time to see old friends, let them know how you're doing, but you're needed - "

Time for her to leave? That's impossible, you can't just come back from the dead - although, she's done it once already. Who's to say she couldn't again?

But still, that sounded ridiculous. What could she have done to deserve a third chance at life?

"Wait, Mordin, what are - "

"Time for you to leave, Shepard."

She stood in front of him, staring into his large salarian eyes. She didn't know who to trust, or even if she should believe him. But something in the way he smirked slyly, like he knew a secret she didn't, made her want to trust him.

"Why me, Mordin? Out of everyone in the galaxy, all the lives that have come and gone, all the people who probably deserve second and third chances - why me?"

He couldn't hold back a grin. She could guess what he was going to say, but wanted to hear it from him anyways.

"Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

She couldn't hold it back any longer. She let herself laugh aloud and didn't stop the tears this time.

*~*~

Shepard sputtered, gasping in a pile of rubble. She panted as she stared at the sky; the light gray clouds seemed to be dissapating into nothingness. It looked like the promise of a beautiful morning after weeks of rain.

The air burned through her lungs.


	2. A New Beginning - Garrus' Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus Vakarian has to cope with the fact that his Shepard may have saved the galaxy, but there is a good chance he'll never see her again.

The image of her back to him, running towards Harbinger's beam, would be burned into his mind for the rest of his life, Garrus was sure.

It had only been an hour or two since Javik had dragged him onto the _Normandy_ , away from the love of his life as she rushed towards what may as well be the end of hers. Javik forced him into the Medbay, with the blinding white lights and white walls. Garrus had glanced over the injured soldiers - humans and turians from Earth - as he was forced to sit on a bed. He was dizzy from blood loss, but managed to stay conscious - _I need to get back to Shepard_. Chakwas had been tending to the other injured soldiers, with Liara and James' help, until she looked upon Shepard's squadmates. Her eyes, hopeful, had seemed to be searching for a third person, but she knew before she even began that they were the only ones to return to the ship. Chakwas focused her attention to treating Garrus, ignoring his protests.

Despite his sympathy towards the other injured soldiers the _Normandy_ had managed to pick up, Garrus felt the urge to force Chakwas into patching him up faster as she neared him and Liara began to help Javik. Garrus needed to get back to Shepard - actually leaving her on Earth was a mistake, even if it was an order from his commanding officer - he needed to get back there as soon as possible -

"Garrus..." Liara's pained but unwavering voice silenced him. He didn't realize he was saying all of this out loud. He didn't even realize how much he was rushing the doctor. Her eyes were sad and tired - and did he see pity? It's still a little hard reading human emotions through their eyes. No, he had to be seeing something that wasn't there. He looked away from her face and turned to Liara's.

Liara would understand. She was with Shepard in the very beginning, she knew what it was like to love someone as captivating and impossible as Shepard, and she would know how badly he needed to get back to her -

"You and I both know," Liara continued cautiously, "that you getting yourself killed isn't what Shepard would have wanted - "

"Don't." Garrus cut her off more sharply than he intended, causing several people nearby to stare at him. And there was such _pity_ in all of their stares. This time he was sure. _Why_ do they keep looking at him like that? It was beginning to make him irrationally angry. "Don't talk about her like she's dead - "

Liara interrupted him this time, her voice apologetic and guilt ridden. "Garrus, we don't know if she survived the blast -"

Her voice became white noise. Blast? What blast? He wanted to search for some comm system, some way to reach Shepard - but of course there wasn't one in the Medbay, he needed to get to the cockpit - but why hadn't anyone told him?! How long ago did this happen!? Is Shepard alive!? Oh Spirits, let her be alive -

"Holy shit. She did it."

He recognized that old, gruff voice over the intercom. Hackett. He said something about a report that someone had made it to the Citadel. Relief spilled through him. _Shepard._ Of course it was her. He could breathe, and get patched up properly. He hadn't failed her yet.

Chakwas finished her job - the medigel was dispensed through his suit, and she applied it manually where the suit had torn - and he was beginning to feel better already. Shepard was alive, and she would need him on his feet.

The entire Medbay had a new, lighter feeling all of a sudden. Even the soldiers with bandaged heads and broken limbs seemed to feel it. Just hearing she was still alive gave everyone a new outlook on the cost of this mission. They had lost so many people, they knew, but they also knew Shepard would make sure none of it was in vain.

Liara, hope renewed, left the medbay, probably to gather more supplies. Garrus noticed a slight limp as the doors closed behind her. That was when he also took note of James' bandaged arm. Garrus wouldn't sit there. He was going to get back to Shepard, take a shuttle on his own if he had to.

He relinquished his bed and hobbled out of the Medbay and towards the elevator. Despite Joker's masterful piloting skills, Garrus still needed the wall as support as the _Normandy_ swerved out of the way of debris and Reaper beams.

Garrus did his best to keep out of the way of the people in the CIC. Once he got to the cockpit, he was positive he could convince Joker to get him as close to the Citadel as possible, and he could get in a shuttle that would take him to Shepard.

As he limped through the CIC, he heard Hackett again.

"The crucible is armed! Everyone, get the hell out of there! Meet at the rendezvous point!"

Garrus was shocked, horrified. And leave Shepard?! Joker would never -

"Joker, we need to go," Liara pleaded with Joker in the cockpit as Traynor remained painfully silent. Garrus could hear the heartbreak and disappointment in her voice but that didn't stop him from being enraged and appalled as Joker reluctantly agreed. _No._

"You can't be serious. _Are you really leaving Shepard behind?_ ," Garrus asked incredulously, startling the three guilty parties. He was positive they could hear the strange mix of rage and pleading in his subharmonics, and if not, the constant, frantic fluttering of his mandibles should be enough to give away his distress.

Joker refused to respond or meet his gaze as he turned the Normandy around. Traynor's eyes were shiny as she stared at the floor. Liara was the only one who dared to look him in his eyes.

"We're leaving." Her eyes were glowing with grief and pain and shame but the ferocity in her voice didn't betray any sentiment she had for their Commander.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Liara was right. No Commander would condemn an entire ship to certain death over one soldier - but she wasn't any soldier, she was _Shepard_ , and he _needed_ her - the _galaxy_ needed her - how can they _leave her behind_ -

"No." Garrus began to argue without thinking. He moved towards Joker.

Liara was exhausted. "Garrus, please understand, I know how you feel but we can't stay here - "

"No, you don't," Garrus spat angrily. "If you did, you'd never agree to leave her - "

 _No, don't continue that sentence,_ he pleaded with himself. _She doesn't deserve this, she's the Shadow Broker, she_ knows _what it means to make sacrifices, to make sure they weren't in vain -_

"Garrus, don't." Liara's voice almost broke as she stood in front of Garrus, blocking his path to Joker.

_"You wouldn't agree to leave her if you really loved her - "_

"Enough!"

Liara threw Garrus out of the cockpit with her biotics and he landed a few feet away on the catwalk. _Finally,_ he thought.

His vision began to dim, and he was barely able to focus on Liara's face - outrage and crippling shame were clearly outlined on her face - as she stood over him. Behind her, a bright red light overtook the Normandy, and he lost consciousness.

 

*~*~

 

"Garrus, wake up."

Garrus looked up to see _Shepard_ , his _Electra Shepard_ , smiling beautifully right in front of him. She'd let her dark hair grow - it went to her shoulders now - and she tucked it behind her right ear.

 _I knew they'd never leave her behind,_ he thought excitedly, full of relief and joy. He pushed himself off the sand to look at her deep, stormy gray eyes that reflected every star she'd ever seen in her life -

Wait. Sand? No, they should be on the _Normandy_ -

"Garrus, you need to wake up." She reached out to him, her brown hands against his gray face plates, and he held onto her arms.

"Shepard, I'm so sorry...," he choked out. He almost couldn't face her, but whether this was a dream or not, it might be the last time he could see her face, and he would not give that up. He couldn't ask her to forgive him though, not after he let them leave her -

"For what, Garrus?," she asked incredulously. _Spirits_ , he loved listening to her say his name. He could listen forever -

"For leaving you on Earth. I wanted to stop them, but I couldn't - "

"Garrus, you didn't leave me. I ordered you to leave, remember?" She smiled softly, kindly, with more compassion than he thought he deserved. "Besides... I'm always with you. You know that. You'll never be alone." She closed her eyes and leaned towards him.

As much as he didn't want this to end, he knew it had to. If she truly was... Well, Earth and Palavan still needed rebuilding. And if she wasn't, it was up to him to find her. He gripped her arms tighter.

"Never."

She touched her forehead with his. "Now, wake up and - "

 

*~*~

 

Garrus blinked rapidly and looked around. He was laying a bed, surrounded by a familiar, calming scent. There was a light blue light a few yards away, accompanied by a low humming sound.

 _Shepard's cabin._ Frantically, he reached over for her, knowing she wasn't there, but still feeling disappointment when his hand grasped at nothing but cloth - and paper?

He sat up, still in his armor - he vaguely remembered getting thrown by Liara and reminded himself to beg for her forgiveness later - and picked up the paper. It was an envelope, sitting on top of a data pad. On the front of the envelope, Garrus Vakarian was scrawled in somewhat messy yet familiar handwriting, as if it was written in a hurry. Hesitantly, he sliced open the envelope.

Inside, there were at least a dozen of folded pieces of paper, lined up neatly. Curiously, he pulled what looked to be the most recent one out. He unfolded the paper and began to read:

 

 **_To Garrus Vakarian:_ **  
**_If you're reading this (and I truly hope you're the one reading this), it means you somehow made it to my cabin before I did._ **

 

No. He couldn't hear that from her as well. He didn't want to accept it, not without proof. But he took a deep breath and continued.

 

 **_If you're reading this (and I truly hope you're the one reading this), it means you somehow made it to my cabin before I did. That can mean a number of things; maybe I got held back and you wanted to get ready to uh, 'blow off steam' before I got there (I really hope it's Garrus reading this), and you found this. I've done this before every mission I thought I wouldn't make it back, since we first decided this - what we have - was going to be serious. You can read every letter I've left you since I was released from the Alliance. I even included a few I wrote while I was still grounded, that I'd meant to send to you. I haven't sent a letter in years, ~~ever since~~ and I decided against it. Anyway, I'm stalling. There were some things that I need to say, and I want to be the one to tell you - in a sense, anyway._ **  
**_The Alliance has my will on file, a precaution in case I go MIA or KIA at any given time. In that will I have stated, quite clearly, that I want you in command of the Normandy, should anything happen to me. I chose you because I know that you can handle the pressure and responsibility commanding a vessel like the Normandy better than anyone on the ship right now. You have plenty of leadership experience, and you have earned the respect of your crewmates._ **

**_But honestly, I don't want to hand the ship over. I don't want to become a name on our memorial wall. I've been having trouble sleeping, but that just left more time for me to think, and I've realized that I've been thinking of a future with you. I want to live, Garrus. I want to live with you. I don't know where; maybe we can find some part of the universe that was untouched by the Reapers, and carve out our own life there._ **  
**_But we need to defeat the Reapers first._ **

**_I'm scared, Garrus._ **

**_I don't know if I can make it out of this one. We're headed towards the relay now. Everyone is getting ready to hit Earth, and I've been waiting to take back Earth for months, but now we're here and all I can think about is how I can't lose you._ **

**_I will do whatever it takes to destroy the Reapers._ **

**_But if there is even the smallest chance that I can make it back to you, I will take that chance._ **

**_I will find you when this is all over, somehow. I can't ask you to wait for me, but whether or not you do, I need you to know something._ **

**_I love you, Garrus Vakarian. No matter what happens to me, you will never be alone._ **

**_We're in this till the end._ **

**_Electra Shepard_ **

**_P.S. If you need more reassuring, check the datapad._ **

 

Garrus' eyes ran over the words on the page again and again, and he couldn't believe it. This was her handwriting, her thoughts. She took out the time to write this before they left. Now the look on her face when he mentioned retiring somewhere made sense. The way her face lit up and she blinked back the tears as she reached to kiss him. The way her expression seemed the perfect blend between inexplicable joy and unfathomable sorrow.

He eyed the datapad. Of course she knew he'd want to hear her say that. She always thought of everything. He was tempted to play it - but, no. Not yet. He'd wait until he really needed it. The letter had given him just enough of a boost to face the crew again.

He took a deep breath and remembered the dream he awoke from.

_"I'm always with you. You know that."_

He stood up and walked to the cabin door, past her model ship collections, her fish, and her unnamed space hamster.

_"You'll never be alone."_

He pushed the door open.

_"Now wake up and find me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I was having issues with Garrus being OOC and my regular beta reader has been too busy to read it. So I reread this and freaked out over it for weeks and I finally decided I just needed to post it so I can move on to the next chapter. Sorry for the wait.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently working on Garrus' POV. If you have the time, leave feedback or any recommendations you might have. Thanks for reading :D


End file.
